Organizing workshops / seminars / conferences
Purpose of academic gatherings
Academic gatherings are critical to a professor’s role as a creator of knowledge. Research, teaching and service do not take place in isolation, rather every field of knowledge is enhanced by the interactions of academics studying similar, related or even different things in different places. When they come together and talk about what they have learned there is tremendous potential for leaps in knowledge and understanding.
Organizing academic gatherings
Academic conferences range in size from small with a very specific focus, to very large with a broader range of fields of study and issues. Preparing for such gatherings is extremely time intensive and requires some experience and a collaborative effort among many individuals. New faculty members should seek out academic gatherings that help them expand their thinking and get involved in participating in the behind the scenes work from the outset of their careers. Starting small and taking on gradually more responsibility is expected of faculty members. Be careful not to take on too much too soon, however, since there are many demands on a faculty member’s time.
When to get involved and to what degree
Once you have established a relevant set of conferences you plan to attend on an ongoing basis, get involved in helping organize, set up, and plan for upcoming events. The connections you will make compensate for the time it takes to get involved. Just be sure to set boundaries so that you do not take on too much. Mid-career faculty should step up their involvement in conference organizing as they look to build their service to the profession component of their vita. Thanks to the work of many committed later career faculty, there are hundreds of high caliber academic gatherings put on around the country and the world every year. Pace yourself, but make a commitment to serving when possible.
Strategies for Organizing Academic Gatherings
Organizing Career Development Workshops
National Postdoctoral Association
Career workshops are an excellent means of getting good career information and advice to postdoctoral students en masse. This site offers many tips about structuring such events.
Academic Conferences
Wikipedia.org
This entry describes conferences for academics, various types of sessions, and ways to organize them.
Grants for Organizing Academic Gatherings
Grants for Organizing Seminars, Conferences, Symposiums, and Workshops
Higher Education Commission, Pakistan
This program is designed to help disseminate academic and research experiences.
Strategies from Experienced Organizers
Engaging Math Faculty in Teacher Preparation
Lloyd, G., Wilson, M., Wilkins, J. & Behm, S. (Eds.) (2005), allacademic research website
This site outlines the experience of two conference organizers who want to involve content area faculty in preparation of future teachers.
Thoughts on Conference Organizing
Culture Matters, Applying Anthropology, (January 2, 2010). Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
This blog post describes experiences organizing conferences for faculty.
Organizing Academic Gatherings
O’Hear, M. (June 14, 2009). PrawfsBlawg
This blog considers if untenured professors should organize conferences, how focused academic conferences should be, and who the audience should be in a reflective piece.
Types of Conventions
eHow video
This eHow video is part of a series on How to Organize a Convention.
